The UCLA-UCF first-round matchup is up at DraftKings Sportsbook! UCLA is a -6.5 favorite with -278 on the moneyline, while the total is set at 154.5 points.
UCLA vs. UCF Opening Odds
Mick Cronin’s Bruins had an elite season at home, notching wins over three top-10 teams – Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska. Their travels were far less successful. In the regular season, UCLA went 1-6 playing outside of the Pacific time zone, which isn’t very promising considering the upcoming trip to Philadelphia. They turned that around a bit in the Big Ten tournament in Chicago, fending off Rutgers and upsetting Michigan State. The Bruins even took the Boilermakers down to the wire in the conference semifinals without leading stars Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent. Both players are expected to be healthy in time for the Round of 64, sparking an offense that ranks No. 2 in adjusted efficiency since February 18. Dent, especially, was on a tear with 77 assists, 10 steals and 6 turnovers in the seven games leading up to his calf injury. He is now averaging 13.5 points and 7.6 assists per game on the season. As for Bilodeau, he is averaging 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds on elite .518/.464/.873 shooting splits. The Bruins went 13-0 in Quad 3 and 4 games, but just 10-11 versus Quad 1 and 2 opponents thanks to an uncharacteristically mediocre Cronin defense that ranks No. 54 in KenPom.
UCF leans heavily on its veteran backcourt duo of Riley Kugel and Themus Fulks, who average 14.4 and 14.1 points per game. The former is shooting 39.2% from deep on 4.8 attempts a night, while the latter averages 6.7 assists. They have plenty of length in the frontcourt, namely in the form of 7-foot-2 sophomore John Bol. In just 18.9 minutes a night, Bol averages 6.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Forwards Jordan Burks and Jamichael Stillwell average 24.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game between them, too. That group started the season 12-1, capping off that run with a win over Kansas. The Knights proceeded to alternate three-game winning streaks and three-game losing streaks through most of Big 12 play. They finished the year 7-6 on the road and in neutral site contests, beating Cincinnati in OT in the conference tournament before getting rocked by Arizona.
The Bruins earned the No. 28 overall seed. The Knights, on the other hand, slotted in at No. 38 for the selection committee. UCLA boasts the No. 27 offense and No. 54 defense in the Kenpom, compared to UCF’s No. 40 offense and No. 101 defense. When it comes to tempo, the Knights rank No. 78 nationally in pace, compared to the Bruins’ glacial No. 318 ranking.
